SIMPLIFIED ENERGY LABELING FOR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

From the end of 2019, the simplified energy label for household appliances will come into effect again, showing consumption levels on a single scale from A to G and by colors. These days, the European Parliament signed the settlement agreement, approving the article with 535 votes in favor, 46 against and 79 abstentions. The approved regulation also provides for the creation of special digital databases available on a public portal. The database will also be accessible via a QR code with applications for smartphones that will allow citizens to immediately compare the different models on the market and choose the one that offers the best result. It is now up to the Council of the European Union to finally approve the new rules in a formal way. The European Commission will then have to develop guidelines for the application of the regulation and best practices to be implemented for the testing of products.

EVOLUTION OF ENERGY LABELS FOR HOUSEHOLD APPLIANCES

The energy label for household appliances was first introduced in the 1990s to provide major appliances with an information system that would declare the possible impact of their consumption. The label indicated the energy consumption of these devices with letters between A (for the most efficient) and G (for the most energy intensive). Over time, manufacturers gradually improved the energy performance of their devices, so it was necessary to change the label with the introduction of crosses and A classes. However, this has reduced the communicative efficiency of the energy label, as most products on the market fall between class A and higher classes and it has become increasingly complex for consumers to read. The intention of the Members of the European Parliament is therefore to improve the perception of the energy label by consumers by restoring the original classification between A and G and therefore without introducing new classes and by eliminating the classes A. In order to keep pace with technological improvements in energy efficiency, whenever 30 and products sold on the EU market enter class A or 50 and products enter the first two efficiency classes energy (A and B), the scale will need to be updated.

HOW WILL THE SIMPLIFIED ENERGY LABEL INFORM CONSUMERS?

In order to inform consumers about the new energy label, special information campaigns are planned and the labels will be displayed on products in printed form and also available online. Whenever there is an update affecting the energy efficiency of a product that has already been purchased, manufacturers will need to notify the consumer. Any visual or promotional advertising concerning the product must make reference to the energy efficiency class and to the information available on the label. Another misleading aspect of current labels is that they often have different structure and content depending on the type of device. The intention is therefore to overcome this obstacle as well, by defining a common structure for all labels.